How To Cut Felt: The 6 Best Ways To Get Perfect Felt Shapes
Want to learn how to cut felt?
The best way to cut felt is to trace your pattern with a fabric pen then use fabric scissors (they’re the best scissors for cutting felt!) to cut your felt shapes out. If you have a detailed pattern, you can also iron freezer paper onto the fabric and use it to guide your cutting.
These are just a couple of the techniques (the best in my opinion) you can use to create neat felt shapes for your craft projects.
In this article, I’ll go into more cutting techniques and tools that you can choose from.
If you’re new to sewing, don’t worry – I’ve got you! I’ve been sewing since my middle school days and have a bunch of beginner-friendly tips to share with you. Read on to know the easiest ways to cut neat felt shapes.
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Table of Contents
How To Cut Felt: Best Techniques To Use
Felt is the perfect material for beginner sewists! It doesn’t move around much and it doesn’t fray, making it quite easy to cut.
These are the techniques I like to use to get neat shapes and details cut out from felt fabric:
1. The Tracing Technique
The tracing technique is done by tracing patterns onto the fabric. The tracing marks are used as a guide to cut the felt.
To trace patterns on felt fabric, use any of these marking tools:
- Erasable fabric pen
- Tailor’s chalk (great for working on dark-colored felt)
PS. I don’t recommend using regular felt tip pens on felt. They can seep into the fabric and leave a stain.
Here are the basic steps for the tracing technique:
- Step 1: Cut the printed pattern outlines exactly on the line.
- Step 2: Trace the pattern onto the wrong side of the fabric.
- Step 3: Cut the fabric on the traced line.
- Step 4: Optional: Erasable pen and chalk marks should disappear by themselves. If they don’t, you can remove any marks by ironing erasable fabric pen marks and hand-washing chalk marks.
- Step 5: Tidy up the cut fabric edges if you need to.
Alternatively, you can trace the pattern onto the fabric using carbon paper. This method uses a piece of carbon paper between the pattern and fabric so that you’ll leave a mark on the fabric as you trace the pattern.
Here’s how to do it:
- Step 1: Place the fabric on your cutting surface, with the pattern resting on top
- Step 2: Place your pattern weights on the pattern to stop it from moving around (you can use washes or soup cans or anything heavy you have lying around if you don’t have “proper” pattern weights)
- Step 3: If it’s a small project, you could try taping the fabric down to the table but I prefer weights.
- Step 4: Place the carbon paper between the pattern and fabric. The carbon paper should be black side down.
- Step 5: Use a blunt tracing wheel to trace the pattern. This will transfer the pattern onto the fabric.
- Step 6: Cut the fabric along the traced line, ideally using a rotary cutter or fabric scissors.
- Step 7: Tidy up the edges, if needed.
Here’s a guide on using carbon paper to trace your patterns:
Overall, the tracing technique is versatile as it’s suitable for both large shapes and small details.
2. The Pinning Technique
This technique is exactly like it sounds – you pin the pattern onto the fabric with sewing pins. Once the pattern is set in place, you can use it as a cutting guide.
The pinning technique works well for simple, straight-lined patterns without too many fine details.
Here are the basic steps for the pinning technique:
Step 1: Cut the printed pattern outlines (leave some space around them so that you don’t cut exactly on the lines – only if you have tissue pattern paper).
Step 2: Pin the cut pattern onto the right side of the fabric.
Step 3: Cut the fabric exactly on the pattern lines. Remove the paper.
Step 4: Tidy up the edges, if needed.
IMPORTANT: You should only use this technique with tissue pattern paper (or cut around the pattern without cutting the paper), otherwise you may ruin your fabric scissors if you cut on normal paper with them.
Here’s a video tutorial on the pinning technique:
3. The Taping Technique
You’ll need transparent sticky tape to go with this technique. Use the tape to stick the pattern onto the fabric and cut away!
I like that this technique gives a more precise finish compared to the pinning method. Just be careful when you’re removing the tape from the fabric. If the tape is stuck on too hard, it can stretch the fabric when you’re pulling it off.
Here are the basic steps for the taping technique:
Step 1: Cut the printed pattern outlines (leave some space around them so that you don’t cut exactly on the lines – only if you have tissue pattern paper).
Step 2: Tape the cut pattern onto the right side of the fabric.
Step 3: Cut the fabric exactly on the pattern lines. Remove the paper.
Step 4: Tidy up the edges, if needed.
IMPORTANT: You should only use this technique with tissue pattern paper (or cut the fabric around the pattern without cutting the paper), otherwise you may ruin your fabric scissors if you cut on normal paper with them.
Here’s a quick video guide on the taping technique:
4. The Freezer Paper Technique
If you’re working with a lot of fine details in your patterns, use freezer paper. This handy kitchen tool has a coating on one side that temporarily sticks to the fabric when you iron it.
Here are the basic steps for the freezer paper technique:
Step 1: Print the pattern on the matte side of the freezer paper.
Step 2: Cut the printed pattern outlines.
Step 3: Using low to medium heat, iron the freezer paper onto the right side of the fabric.
Step 4: Cut the fabric exactly on the pattern lines. Peel the paper off.
Step 5: Tidy up the edges.
Here’s a guide on using freezer paper to cut felt:
5. The Fusible Interfacing Technique
If you want to add some sturdiness to your felt fabric, this technique using fusible interfacing works great.
Just like with freezer paper, you can iron the interfacing to transfer the pattern onto the fabric. The difference is that it sticks permanently to the fabric, giving it extra structure.
Here are the basic steps for the fusible interfacing technique:
Step 1: Trace the pattern onto the fusible interfacing (adhesive side up).
Step 2: Cut the printed pattern outlines (leave some space around them so that you don’t cut exactly on the lines).
Step 3: Using medium heat, iron the interfacing paper onto the wrong side of the fabric.
Step 4: Cut the fabric exactly on the pattern lines.
Step 5: Tidy up the edges
6. Use A Cricut Maker
I know some of you love more automated ways to have your crafting done so if this is you, use a Cricut Maker to have all the cutting done for you.
This handy machine for cutting felt will print your pattern onto the felt fabric and cut the fabric according to that pattern. Easy peasy!
Tips For Cutting Felt Shapes
- Before using any of the techniques we talked about, test it out on a scrap piece of felt first. This way, you can see if the technique or tool works okay for what you’re trying to achieve.
- Use patterns that are printed rather than drawn by hand, especially for straight lines and circles, otherwise, your shapes will have wobbly edges.
- A rotary cutter and self-healing mat are the best and quickest options for straight lines
- Use thicker felt if you can as it’s easier to cut than softer, thinner felt
- When it comes to your cutting felt tools, make sure they’re sharp so that you can cut clean lines through the felt fabric. You’ll end up with messy edges if you use blunt felt cutters.
- Always remember to store your sharp cutting tools away from kids and pets for safety. You should set your rotary cutter to “lock” mode as an additional safety measure.
- If you don’t like manually cutting felt, consider machines that cut felt like the popular Cricut Maker. Alternatively, you can also find pre-cut felt shapes on Amazon.
Felt Cutting Tools You’ll Need
Best Scissors For Felt
The best scissors to cut felt are fabric scissors.
Here’s a tip on how to cut felt with scissors: use the right size to match your pattern. Use larger scissors to cut out larger pieces of felt and along straight lines. Use smaller scissors for patterns that require more precision such as curves and small details.
Read my post for a full breakdown on which scissors to use to cut felt.
Rotary Cutter
You can also use a rotary cutter (and self-healing mat) to cut felt. Just like with scissors, you can cut according to the traced pattern lines with a rotary cutter.
Just be extra careful as it’s very sharp. Always cut away from you (never towards you). Make sure your fingers are not in the way of the cutter.
Felt Fabric
You can use 100% wool felt, wool blend felt, or craft felt depending on the quality you’re looking for. 100% wool felt is an all-natural and long-lasting option, while craft felt is made from synthetic fibers and is more budget-friendly.
Check out my post comparing the differences between wool and polyester felt.
Erasable Fabric Pen
For a neat finish, I highly recommend using an erasable fabric pen to trace your patterns. It doesn’t leave permanent marks, which means you can re-trace if you make any mistakes when you’re tracing. I find this to be very beginner-friendly!
Feel free to mark your fabric as you need and when you’re done cutting out each pattern piece, just iron the fabric and watch the ink disappear. Cool, huh? You can also wait for it to disappear by itself.
If you’re tracing on dark-colored felt, you can use a white fabric pen or tailor’s chalk.
Carbon Paper
Add some dressmaking carbon paper to your sewing kit too. This old-school tool is a handy thing and makes life so much easier – this plus a tracing wheel and rotary cutter are my FAVORITE method for cutting ouT my sewing projects.
Freezer Paper
Freezer paper is great for capturing precise details on your fabric. You can print the pattern directly onto the paper, and iron it on the fabric.
Fusible Interfacing
Fusible interfacing is great for adding sturdiness to the fabric and capturing precise details. Just keep in mind that the interfacing remains on the fabric and will be a part of the finished craft project – which is a bonus if you want more strength and less flexibility.
Sewing Pins
Sewing pins are a must-have in a sewist’s tool kit – especially if you feel like you’ll be doing a lot of the pinning technique. I like that you don’t have to get super technical with sewing pins – standard ones will work well for your felt projects.
Sticky Tape
Use transparent sticky tape to stick patterns to your fabric. This way, it doesn’t obstruct the pattern or fabric, which helps make it easier for you to cut out the felt shapes.
For me this is an optional tool and I don’t use it very much for sewing.
Optional: Printer
You can find a lot of felt patterns online for your projects, and it helps to have a printer at home to print your favorite patterns out. You’ll mostly be printing black-and-white outlines, so a basic printer is more than enough.
Optional: Cricut Machine To Cut Felt
Although it’s absolutely not necessary to have a Cricut Maker, it does make crafting super quick and easy. If you prefer having a felt cutting machine to cut your patterns for you, this machine is a worthy investment.
How To Cut Felt FAQ
How To Cut Holes In Felt?
The best way to punch holes in felt is by using a paper puncher. Mark where you need the holes to be on your fabric, place the fabric between the puncher tool and press firmly to cut a hole. If the hole edges are untidy, you can use a fine-tipped blade like an X-ACTO knife to clean up the edges.
Can You Cut Felt With An X-ACTO Knife?
Yes, you cut felt with an X-ACTO knife. The extremely sharp blade has a fine tip that’s perfect for straight lines and intricate details as it cuts accurately.
How To Cut Felt: Wrap Up
There are a few cutting techniques you can use. My favorite and the one I recommend is the carbon paper, tracing wheel and rotary cutter + self-healing mat combo.
But you also have lots of other options like pinning your pattern to the fabric and cutting it out. For more detailed patterns, I recommend using freezer paper – it makes cutting out the small details so much easier.
Don’t enjoy cutting your designs manually? You can always buy pre-cut felt shapes or get some help from a machine like the Cricut Maker.
Whichever technique you use, I hope you find it to be a good fit for your felt craft project!
Now that you’re all set for cutting out felt, choose which scissors, thread (or glue!) will be best for your project or find out how to sew felt pieces together using a sewing machine.